Fifteen years ago, Coward Environmental Systems, Inc. (CESI) provided a highly specialized air handling system for the chemistry building of a major state university. The system was designed to protect delicate laser experiments by maintaining clean, consistent airflow across large laboratory tables. Now, more than a decade later, the university is expanding its lab capabilities, and CESI was once again selected to deliver the next generation of air handling equipment.
鈥淲hen the university decided to expand the lab, they didn鈥檛 even look at anyone else,鈥� says Bryan McManus, Sales Engineer at CESI. 鈥淭he original system had worked so well for them that they wanted to duplicate the setup, only with updated, more efficient technology.鈥�
Custom Systems for Critical Experiments
The original project involved building an air handler mated to a CleanPak plenum from Nortek. This specialized configuration provides laminar airflow over the lab鈥檚 testing tables, which measure roughly five feet wide and sixteen feet long. The design ensures an even, particle-free environment, which is critical when conducting laser-based experiments.
鈥淭hink of it like an operating room,鈥� explains McManus. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 have particulate interfering with the tests. If there鈥檚 even the slightest disruption in airflow, it could affect the accuracy of the laser.鈥�
With the expansion, the university is adding two new laser tables. CESI is supplying two additional systems, each consisting of one air handling unit and one plenum, built to the same specifications as the original but upgraded to today鈥檚 efficiency standards.
The CleanPak Advantage
At the heart of the project is the CleanPak plenum, manufactured by. These Clean-Trak plenums are designed to minimize transverse ducts and reduce pressure drop, while also featuring side-wall openings that allow one fan module to serve multiple plenums.
According to McManus, the CleanPak design offers a unique advantage: 鈥淔or this kind of application, you can buy an air handler from one company and a plenum from another. But CleanPak integrates the entire package into one system. It arrives ready to install, in one piece, and gets hung in the ceiling as a unit. They鈥檙e the only ones that provide this type of integrated solution.鈥�
By packaging the air handler and plenum together, the system delivers consistent laminar flow across the full length of each laser table, eliminating dead spots or turbulence. That consistency ensures the lasers perform without interruption.
Why Laminar Flow Matters
To illustrate the importance of laminar flow, McManus offers a simple example: 鈥淢y kids have one of those holiday laser projectors we put outside at Christmas. If it鈥檚 snowing, you see how the snow interrupts the laser beam, but the light keeps projecting. In a lab setting, interruptions like that are unacceptable. The airflow has to remain perfectly even so the laser can run without distortion.鈥�
By providing a stable, contaminant-free environment, CESI鈥檚 solution ensures that the university鈥檚 researchers can carry out their experiments with confidence.
A Trusted Partner for the Future
The long-standing relationship between the university and CESI underscores the value of reliable performance. The original system鈥檚 success set the standard for the expansion, and CESI鈥檚 ability to deliver updated, efficient equipment ensures the lab is prepared for the next phase of research.
鈥淎t the end of the day,鈥� McManus notes, 鈥渙ur job is to make sure the scientists have the environment they need to focus on their work. If they don鈥檛 have to think about the airflow, then we鈥檝e done our job right.鈥�
To learn more about plenums with laminar flow for critical performance spaces, contact Coward Environmental today.
